The invention relates to the mounting of motor-vehicle equipment. It relates more particularly to a device for mounting equipment, in particular a heat-exchange module, onto a load-bearing structure of a motor vehicle.
Such a heat-exchange module, in its simplest version, usually comprises a heat exchanger such as the radiator for cooling the engine of the vehicle. Such a module may, moreover, comprise at least one other heat exchanger, for example an air-conditioning condenser, and, if appropriate, at least one motor-driven fan unit suitable for generating an airflow passing through the heat exchanger or exchangers making up the module.
This module has to be mounted on a load-bearing structure of the motor vehicle, that is to say generally either on an upper beam and a lower beam forming part of the body shell of the vehicle, or else on a front facade, ready to be mounted onto the vehicle by the constructor.
It will recalled that such a facade is a structural element of the vehicle, which is capable of incorporating various pieces of equipment of the vehicle, such as headlights, flashers, audible warning device, heat exchanger, motor-driven fan unit or complete cooling module, etc.
The heat-exchange module has to be fixed to the load-bearing structure by means capable of absorbing the vibration and of compensating for the variations in dimensions due to thermal expansion.
Up to the present, the heat-exchange module has been fixed onto the load-bearing structure of the vehicle by means of deformable studs, generally comprising two studs of a first type placed at the lower part of the module and two studs of another type, placed at the upper part of the module.
These studs are usually mounted onto spigots projecting from the manifolds of a heat exchanger of the module, which makes it necessary to provide manifolds of a particular type, and presents the risk that these spigots may be damaged accidentally.
Moreover, mechanical fixing means, such as pins, have to be provided, which are affixed in order to achieve locking between the studs and the load-bearing structure.
Consequently, this known mounting technique needs affixed elements to be put in place, implying additional costs because of the necessity to provide the supplementary pieces and the time necessary to mount them in the assembly process.
The object of the invention is especially to surmount the abovementioned drawbacks.
It envisages, in particular, proposing a mounting device making it possible to reduce the number of pieces necessary for assembly and to ensure rapid mounting.
According to the present invention there is provided a device for mounting equipment, in particular a heat-exchange module, onto a load-bearing structure of a motor vehicle, which comprises at least two receiving blocks provided on the load-bearing structure and each comprising two face-to-face parallel ribs, as well as at least two damping studs each of which is produced from an elastically deformable material and includes two parallel grooves opening out on two opposite side faces and able to interact, by sliding, with the two parallel ribs of a receiving block, each damping stud further comprising a bearing face suitable for interacting with the equipment and an abutment face suitable for interacting with the receiving block.
Hence, the equipment is mounted in a particularly simple way, by virtue of damping studs being interposed between the equipment and the receiving blocks provided on the load-bearing structure.
The receiving blocks are put in place simply by sliding, by cooperation between the grooves of each damping stud and the corresponding ribs of the receiving block which is to receive it.
This solution does not require spigots to be provided on the manifolds of the heat exchanger, nor elements affixed for immobilizing the damping studs.
In one embodiment of the invention, the damping stud comprises a body in which the grooves are formed, and a lateral elongation attached to the body and contributing to defining the bearing face and the abutment face.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the grooves of the damping stud and the ribs of the receiving block have cross sections of complementary shapes which are suitable for frictional interaction.
The damping stud may comprise at least one retaining tooth formed in projection in a groove and able to come to bear against a rib of the receiving block in order to contribute to immobilizing the damping stud with respect to the receiving block.
The damping stud may equally comprise at least one recess suitable for increasing the flexibility in at least one chosen region.
The damping stud is advantageously formed from a material of the rubber or elastomer type, or the like.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the two ribs of the receiving block are attached to two opposite side walls, suitable for framing the two opposite side faces of a damping stud.
Advantageously, the two opposite side walls of the receiving block are attached perpendicularly to a back wall which forms an abutment for the damping stud. These two opposite side walls are preferably attached to a third side wall, which is itself attached perpendicularly to the back wall.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises at least one receiving block provided on an upper crosspiece of the load-bearing structure and at least one receiving block provided on a lower crosspiece of the load-bearing structure. The upper crosspiece and the lower crosspiece preferably form part of a front facade.
In a variant, these crosspieces may form part of the actual structure of the vehicle.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises four receiving blocks the respective ribs of which are parallel and four damping studs suitable for interacting respectively with these four receiving blocks.
Advantageously, the device further comprises means for fixing the equipment to the load-bearing structure. These fixing means preferably comprise clipping lugs projecting from the load-bearing structure and interacting with complementary parts projecting from the equipment.